AGB Winds with Gas-Dust Drift in Stellar Evolution Codes

Abstract

A significant fraction of new metals produced in stars enter the interstellar medium in the form of dust grains. Including dust and wind formation in stellar evolution models of late-stage low- and intermediate-mass stars provides a way to quantify their contribution to the cosmic dust component. In doing so, a correct physical description of dust formation is of course required, but also a reliable prescription for the mass-loss rate. Here, we present an improved model of dust-driven winds to be used in stellar evolution codes and insights from recent detailed numerical simulations of carbon-star winds including drift (decoupling of dust and gas). We also discuss future directions for further improvement.

Keywords

• stars: AGB and post-AGB
• stars: mass-loss
• stars: evolution